Unfortunately what has been happening for years in Canberra, being bad planning and development, looks to continue given the on-going bad decisions by the ACT’s planning minister and his bureaucrats in the planning directorate. Click here.
Category Archives: solar
ACT Government ignores residents
The ACT Government has a bad reputation in its dealings with residents and their concerns for the future of Canberra.
I have written about this topic in City News – here’s my piece – click here.
solar
Singapore moves to rely less on coal
Australia, once a world leading in solar technology, now has a government that is doing all it can to reduce the uses of alternative energies. Continue reading solar
Solar Prime Minister?
Political Comment
The Prime Minister and Solar and how good behaviour starts in your own backyard.
It well established that how people behave in their own back yards normally reflects their attitude to the world outside their household. Our Prime Minister is having his house, The Lodge, refurbished. This was well overdue.
Sustainable Communities South Australia
A web blog recommended
Sustainable Communities South Australia Inc.
Building resilient communities to achieve a one planet lifestyle
click on the image for more. and please let us know of others.
UK versus Australia Solar
UK will install 3 times more solar than Australia in 2014
Given that Australia is being presently governed by a load of Rabbotts, Bogans and Rodents, it comes as no surprise that during this year that the UK will install 3 times more solar than Australia.
It has to believe that the United Kingdom with its cloudy, wet and drizzly weather is already forecast to become the largest market for solar PV in Europe in 2014.
So all that sunshine goes to waste while Rabbott and co continue to subsidize and prop up their Big Coal corporate friends.
solar power
Rooftop solar and Australian politics
There’s evidence appearing about the take up of solar may in fact continue to expand and become fully part of the country’s source of electricity. This is amazing given the on-going vicious and well-funded campaigns being carried by Big Coal and their allies in the present Australian Government.
The next big trick is to get solar to be a key issue at the coming elections, both state and federal. With many of the subsidies now being removed, those who have solar are starting to notice how they are being duded by the Big Coal electricity companies who do not want solar to succeed.
There’s a very good article online titled: Rooftop solar may be ‘sleeping giant’ of Australian politics – click here. It is worth a read to gain an update on this debate and some facts on the current rip offs underway.
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Paul Costigan 14 April 2014
LA in 2033
From The Huffington Post
The Huffington Post presents a wonderfully optimistic report about a city that is often regarded as being a terrible example of urban development. I disagree. It has many things wrong with it but if you spend time there you can see that there are some really great things happening. All cities have their problems and many do not much to boast about.
Canberra and climate change
The city of Canberra and climate change
Re-posted from the Canberra Times
There are times here in the City of Canberra when one despairs at the actions of the planning authority in its spin about how it goes about the planning, design and redevelopment of Canberra’s suburbs. In short: It is shocking!
The authority uses all sorts of green wash in its spin. The planners within the authority still favour the so called market forces to translate their lose planning requirements to deliver what the local developers consider as adequate for residents. This means an extremely artificial nod to the urgent climate change adaptation issues that are impacting on our urban environments. Say no more.
Revitalizing Cities with Parks
Advocacy: Sustainable Landscapes – Revitalizing Cities with Parks
Developed by the American Society of Landscape Architects, this presentation should assist anyone with their advocacy for Revitalizing Cities with Parks. In these times of reactionary governments and tight budgets, it is important to maintain efforts to introduce the simple idea to create more parks.
Urban Forests
Advocacy: Urban Forests
A presentation: Urban Forests = Cleaner, Cooler Air
Developed by the American Society of Landscape Architects, this presentation will assist advocacy for more resource allocation for urban forests. Governments need to deal with climate change in the urban areas, and dealing with urban forests is a good place to concentrate some resources. The urban forest issues are linked to the population’s health and wellbeing and avoiding heat island effects.
Solar Power
Re-Posted from The Conversation
How will your energy get greener? Depends where you live, Peter Newman and Peter Newton
In Australia’s middle and outer suburbs, rooftop solar power technology provides a clear way to reduce the emissions from the energy our houses use. But higher density housing types (apartments and medium density housing) do not lend themselves to rooftop solar power at the scale needed to make a difference to household energy and carbon budgets. So how will those people living in inner suburbs make the change to lower-carbon energy? We believe the urban fabric will shape the transition to low carbon futures in both transport fuel and renewable energy (see Figure 1 below). The approach we suggest makes a distinction between relatively easy technological changes and more difficult structural changes. Read the article here
New York City’s Biggest Solar Project
Re-Posted from Renewable Energy World.com
US’ Biggest Landfill To Become New York City’s Biggest Solar Project
New York City will convert roughly 47 acres of land at the Freshkills Park on Staten Island into a 10-MW solar installation. This is five times bigger than any other system in the city and boosting the city’s renewable energy by 50 percent. SunEdison, which won the public bidding process, will lease the land to design, build, and operate the facility, with construction reportedly beginning in late 2015 and online within a year. read article here